Pew Research Finds Most People Expect AI to Cut Jobs

A new global survey conducted by the Pew Research Center reveals deep public skepticism regarding the long-term economic impact of artificial intelligence. Across 37 countries surveyed, respondents in 34 nations broadly believe that AI will lead to a net loss of jobs over the next 20 years. This anxiety is particularly pronounced in wealthier nations, whereas developing economies show significantly more optimism about the technology's potential to generate employment.

The data highlights stark differences between nations. In Australia, pessimism peaked with 76 percent of respondents predicting that AI will cause job losses. In the United States, 71 percent of those surveyed expect AI to reduce the total number of jobs over the next two decades, compared to a mere 5 percent who believe it will create more opportunities. Conversely, only 26 percent of respondents in Nigeria and the Philippines expect AI-driven job losses to outweigh job creation.

Skepticism is also rising rapidly in countries like Sweden, where the proportion of citizens expressing greater worry than excitement about AI grew by nine percentage points over the last year. This represents the sharpest increase in concern among all countries tracked over time, affecting both younger and older demographics. Furthermore, the survey highlights widespread fears about economic disparity; in none of the 37 countries did more than 25 percent of respondents believe AI would help reduce inequality.

Despite these fears, the outlook is not entirely bleak. The median across all 37 countries shows that 41 percent of people feel an equal mix of concern and enthusiasm. Crucially, individuals who are highly informed about AI tend to view the technology more favorably. For AI practitioners and developers, these findings suggest that public resistance may hinder enterprise adoption unless companies actively educate the public and demonstrate how AI can augment human labor rather than simply replace it.